《我的故事以及背後的中國夢》

《我的故事以及背後的中國夢》

過去的二十年，中國一直在跟美國的三任總統打交道，但是今天到了耶魯我才知道，其實他只跟一所學校打交道。但是透過這三位總統我也明白了，耶魯大學的畢業生的水準也並不很平均。

接下來就進入我們這個主題，或許要起個題目的話應該叫《我的故事以及背後的中國夢》。我要講五個年份，第一要講的年份是1968年。那一年我出生了。但是 那一年世界非常亂，在法國有它的這個，巨大的街頭的騷亂，在美國也有，然後美國的總統肯尼迪遇刺了，但是的確這一切的原因都與我無關。但是那一年我們更應該記住的是馬丁路德金先生遇刺，雖然那一年他倒下了，但是「我有一個夢想」的這句話卻真正地站了起來，不僅在美國站起來，在全世界站起來。

但是當時很遺憾，不僅僅是我，幾乎很多的中國人並不知道這個夢想，因為當時中國人，每一個個人很難說擁有自己的夢想。中國與美國的距離非常遙遠，不亞於月亮與地球之間的距離。但是我並不關心這一切，我只關係我是否可以吃飽。很顯然，我的出生非常不是時候，不僅對於當時的中國來說，對於世界來說，似乎都有些 問題。

1978年，十年之後。我十歲，我依然生活在我出生的時候，那個只有二十萬人的非常非常小的城市裡。它離北京的距離有兩千公里，它要想了解北京出的報紙的話，要在三天之後才能看見，所以對於我們來說，是不存在新聞這個說法。那一年我的爺爺去世了，而在兩年前的時候我的父親去世了，所以只剩下我母親一個人要 撫養我們哥倆，她一個月的工資不到十美元。因此即使十歲了，夢想這個詞對我來說，依然是一個非常陌生的辭彙，我從來不會去想它。我看不到這個家庭的希望，只是會感覺，那個時候的每一個冬天都很寒冷，因為我所生活的那個城市離蘇聯更近。但是就在我看不到希望的1978年的時候，不管是中國這個國家，還有中國與美國這兩個國家之間，發生了非常巨大的變化，那是一個我們在座的所有人，今天都該記住的年份。

1978年的12月16號，中國與美國正式建交，那是一個大事件。而在中美建交兩天之後，12月18號，中國的十一屆三中全會召開了，那是中國改革開放三 十一年的開始。歷史，兩個偉大的國家，一個非常可憐的家庭，就如此戲劇性地交織在一起，不管是小的家庭，還是大的國家，其實當時誰都沒有把握知道未來是什麼樣的。」

1988年，那一年我二十歲。這個時候我已經從邊疆的小城市來到了北京，成為一個大學生。雖然我們今天在中國依然有很多的人在抨擊中國的高考的制度，認為它有很多很多的缺陷，但是必須承認正是高考的存在，讓我們這樣一個又一個非常普通的孩子，擁有了改變命運的機會。當然，這個時候美國已經不再是一個很遙遠 的國家，它變得很具體，它也不再是那個過去口號當中的「美帝國主義」，而是變成了生活中很多的細節。這個時候我已經第一次地嘗試過可口可樂，而且喝完可口可樂之後會覺得中美兩個國家真的是如此接近，因為它幾乎就跟中國的中藥是一樣的。

那個時候我已經開始非常狂熱地去喜歡搖滾樂。那個時候正是邁克爾傑克遜還長得比較漂亮的時候。更重要的是，這個時候的中國，已經開始發生了非常大的變化，因為改革已經進行了十年。那一年中國開始嘗試放開很多商品的價格。這在你們覺得是非常不可思議的事情，但是在中國當時是一個很大的邁進，因為過去的價格都 是由政府來決定的。但是，就在那一年，因為放開了價格，引起了全國瘋狂地搶購，大家都覺得這個時候會有多久，於是要把一輩子都用的食品和用品，買回到家裡頭。這一年也就標誌之著中國離市場經濟越來越近了。

當然那個時候沒有人知道市場經濟，也會有次貸危機。當然我知道那一年1988年對於耶魯大學來說格外的重要，因為你們耶魯的校友又一次成為美國的總統。

1998年，那一年我三十歲。我已經成為中央電視台的一個新聞節目主持人。更重要的是，我已經成為一個一歲孩子的父親。那一年在中美之間發生了一個非常重要的事件，主角就是柯林頓。也許在美國你記住的是性醜聞。但是在中國記住的是他那一年訪問了中國。在六月份的時候，他訪問中國的時候，在人民大會堂和江澤 民主席進行了一個開放的記者招待會，然後又在北京大學進行了一個開放的演講，這兩場活動的直播主持人都是我。

在北大的柯林頓的演講當中，由於整個柯林頓總統的演講，用的全是美方所提供的翻譯，我猜想有很多的中國觀眾，是一直知道柯林頓的確在說話，但是說的是什麼不太清楚。所以我在直播結束的時候，說了這樣的一番話，我說看樣子美國需要對中國有更多的了解，有的時候要從語言開始，而對於中美這兩個國家來說，面對面 永遠要好過背對背。當然也是在這一年年初，我開上了我人生的第一輛車。這是我在我過去從來不會想到的，中國人有一天也可以開自己的車。個人的喜悅，也會讓你印象很久，因為往往第一次才是最難忘的。

2008這一年，我四十歲。很多年大家不再談論的「我有一個夢想」這句話，在這一年我聽到太多的美國人在講。看樣子奧巴馬的確不想再接受耶魯佔領美國二十年這樣的事實了。他用「改變」以及「夢想」這樣的辭彙，讓耶魯大學的師生在為他當選總統之後，聽說你們舉行了遊行，甚至慶祝。

而這一年也是中國夢非常明顯的一年。它就像全世界所有的偉大的夢想都要註定要遭受很多的挫折一樣顯現出來。無論是期待了很久的北京奧運會，還是神舟七號中國人第一次在太空當中行走，那都是很多年前我們期待了很久的一個夢想。但是，突如其來的四川大地震，讓這一切都變得沒有我們期待中的那麼美好。八萬個生命 的離開，讓整個2008年中國人度日如年。我猜得到在耶魯校園裡頭，在每一個網頁、電視以及報紙的前面，也有很多的來自中國的人，以及世界各地的人們，為這些生命流下眼淚。但是就像四十年前馬丁路德金先生倒下，卻讓「我有一個夢想」這句話站得更高，站得更久，站得更加讓人覺得極其有價值一樣，更多的中國人也明白了，夢想很重要。但是生命更重要。

在北京奧運會期間，我度過了自己的四十歲的生日。那一天我感慨萬千，因為時間進入到我的生日那一天的時候，我在直播精彩的比賽。二十四小時之後，當這個時間要走出我生日這一天的時候，我也依然在直播。但是這一天我覺得我非常的幸運。因為正是這樣一個特殊的，在北京奧運會期間的四十歲，讓我意識到了我的故事 背後的中國夢。

正是在這樣的四十年的時間裡頭，我從一個根本不可能有夢想的，一個遙遠邊疆的一個小城市裡的孩子，變成了一個可以在全人類歡聚的一個大的節日裡頭，分享以及傳播這種快樂的新聞人，這是一個在中國發生的故事。而在這一年，中國和美國相距並不遙遠，你中有我，我中有你，彼此需要。布希總統據說度過了他作為總統 以來在國外，一個國家呆的最長的一段時間，就是在北京奧運會期間。菲爾普斯在那兒拿到了八塊金牌，而他的家人都陪伴在他的身邊，所有的中國人都為這樣一個特殊的家庭祝福。當然，任何一個這樣的夢想都會轉眼過去。在這樣的一個年份裡頭，中美兩國歷史上幾乎是第一次同時發出了「我有一個新的夢想」這樣時候，如 此的巧合，如此的應該。

美國面臨了一次非常非常艱難的金融危機，當然不僅僅是美國的事情，也對全世界有重大的影響。昨天我到達紐約，剛下了飛機，我去的第一站就是華爾街，我看到了華盛頓總統的雕像，他的視線是那麼永久不變地在盯著證券交易所上那面巨大的美國國旗。而非常奇妙的是，在這個雕像後面的展覽館裡正在舉行，「林肯總統在 紐約」這樣的一個展覽，因此林肯總統的大幅的畫像也掛在那上面，他也在看那面國旗。我讀出了一種非常悲壯的一種歷史感。在離開那個地方的時候，我對我的同事說了這樣一句話。我說，很多很多年前如果美國發生了這樣狀況的時候，也許中國人會感到很開心，因為你看，美國又糟糕了。但是今天中國人會格外地希望美國 儘早地好起來，因為我們有幾千億的錢在美國。我們還有大量的產品等待著裝上貨船，送到美國來，如果美國的經濟進一步好的話，在這些貨品的背後，就是一個又一個中國人增長的工資，是他重新擁有的就業崗位，以及家庭的幸福。」

在過去的三十年裡頭，你們是否注意到了，與一個又一個普通的中國人緊密相關的中國夢。我不知道世界上還有哪個國家，在過去這三十年的時間裡頭，讓個人的命運發生了這麼大的變化。一個邊遠小城市裡的孩子，一個絕望中的孩子，今天有機會在耶魯跟各位同學交流。或許該換一個視角。去看十三億個非常普通的中國人。 他們並不宏大的夢想。改變命運的那種衝動，依然善良的性格，和勤奮的那種品質。今天的中國是由剛才的這些辭彙構成。

在過去的很多年裡頭，中國人看美國，似乎在用望遠鏡看。美國所有的美好的東西，都被這個望遠鏡放大。經常有人說美國怎麼怎麼樣，美國怎麼怎麼樣，你看我們這兒什麼時候能這樣。在過去的好多年裡頭，美國人似乎也在用望遠鏡在看中國，但是我猜測可能拿反了。因為他們看到的是一個縮小了的、錯誤不斷的、有眾多問 題的一個中國。他們忽視了十三億非常普通的中國人，改變命運的這種衝動和慾望，使這個國家發生了如此巨大的變化。但是我也一直有一個夢想。為什麼要用望遠鏡來看彼此？

當然我也希望非常多的美國人，有機會去看看中國。而不是在媒體當中去看到中國。你知道我並不太信任我的所有的同行。開一個玩笑。其實美國的同行是我非常尊敬的同行。我只是希望越來越多的美國朋友去看一個真實的中國。因為我起碼敢確定一件事情。即使在美國你吃到的被公認為最好的中國菜。在中國都很難賣出好價 錢。就像很多很多年之前，在中國所有的城市裡流行著一種叫加州牛肉麵，加利福尼亞牛肉麵。相當多的中國人都認為，美國來的東西一定非常非常好吃。所以他們都去吃了。即使沒那麼好吃的話，由於覺得這是美國來的，也沒有批評。這個連鎖的快餐店在中國存在了很多年，直到有越來越多的中國人來到美國，在加州四處尋 找加州牛肉麵，但是一家都沒有找到的時候，越來越多的中國人知道，加州是沒有這種牛肉麵的。於是這個連鎖店在中國，現在處於陸續消失的過程當中。這就是一種差異。但是當人來人往之後，這樣的一種誤讀就會越來越少。

所以最後我只想再說一句。四十年前，當馬丁路德金先生倒下的時候，他的那句話「我有一個夢想」傳遍了全世界。但是，一定要知道，不僅僅有一個英文版的「我 有一個夢想」。在遙遠的東方，在一個幾千年延續下來的中國，也有一個夢想。它不是宏大的口號，並不是在政府那裡存在，它是屬於每一個非常普通的中國人。而它用中文寫成「我有一個夢想」。

My Story and the Chinese Dream Behind It

In the past twenty years, China has faced three American presidents, but till coming to Yale today, I never realized that China really just faced one university. Although, through these three presidents, I understand that the quality of Yale graduates is not so even.

Let me begin my main subject and let me give it a title, called 「My Story and the Chinese Dream Behind It」. I want to talk about five particular years. The first is 1968. That year I was born. But it was also a chaotic year for the world. In France, there was this huge street disturbance, and in America, too. Then President Kennedy was assassinated. However, I really did not cause all of these! But that year what we remember more was the assassination of Mr. Martin Luther King. Although he fell that year, his words 「I have a dream」 stood up, not only stood up in America, but across the whole world.

But sadly, not only for me, but for almost all Chinese, we did not know such a dream. It was hard to describe each Chinese as having his or her own dream. China and America were so far apart, no less far apart than the Moon and the Earth. But I didn』t care about any of that. All I cared about was could I have a full meal. Clearly, I was born at a very inconvenient time, not only for China, but even for the world, there were problems.

In 1978, ten years later, I was 10. I still lived in the very little city that had only 200 thousand people at the time I was born. It was 2000 km from Beijing. If you wanted to read the newspaper from Beijing, you waited three days. So for us, there was no such thing as news. That year my grandfather passed away. Two years before that my father passed away. So there was just my mother left to take care of me and my brother. Her monthly salary was not even ten dollars. As a result, even though I was 10, the word 「dream」 was still not in my vocabulary, and I would never think of it. I could not see hope in this family, but only felt bitter cold every winter. Where we lived was close to the Soviet Union. Yet the 1978 in which I could not see hope was also the year that a huge change took place, whether for China or for the relationship between China and America. That is a date that everybody here today should remember.

December 16, 1978, China and America officially established diplomatic relations. That was a big event. And two days after that, December 18 was when China opened the 3rd Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee. That was the beginning of thirty-one years of Reform and Opening. History, two great nations, and a very pitiful family all became intertwined in a theatrical way. Truthfully, from the small personal family, to the big family of the country, nobody then had any idea what the future would be like.

In 1988, I was 20. At this time I had already come out of the little border town to Beijing as a university student. Although we have many people in China today criticizing China』s university entrance exams and see many many deficiencies in it, it must be said that it is such a system that allowed very ordinary people like me to have the opportunity to change our lives. Of course, at that time, America was no longer a very distant country. It became very specific. It was no longer the 「Imperialist America」 of the past slogans, but it became the many details in our lives. This was the first time that I tasted Coca-Cola. When I finished drinking it I believed China and America were truly so close, because it tasted just like Chinese medicine.

That was a time when I took a crazy liking to rock』n"roll. That was a time when Michael Jackson still looked relatively handsome. More importantly, that was a time when China experienced very big transformations, as Reform and Opening had already gone on for ten years. That year, China began experimenting with market pricing for many goods. It may feel like something totally incomprehensible to you, but it was a big deal in China, a huge step, because before that the prices were decided by the government. But in that year, because price controls were relaxed, the whole country went on a crazy shopping spree. Everybody all thought, how long could this last, so they had to get a whole life』s worth of food and goods to bring home. That year symbolized that China marched closer and closer to a market economy.

Of course back then nobody knew that market economy could also have a subprime crisis. Anyway, I know that 1988 was an extra important year for Yale, because a Yale alum once again became an American President.

In 1998, I was 30. I had already become a news anchor at CCTV. More importantly, I had become the father of a one-year-old child. That year a very important thing happened between China and America, and the protagonist was Clinton. Perhaps you remember his sexual scandal in America, but in China what we remember is his visit to China that year. In June, when he visited China, he and President Jiang Zemin held an open press conference in the Great Hall of the People. Then he gave an open lecture at Peking University. The live anchor for both events was me.

During Clinton』s lecture at Peking University, because he used his own translator the whole time, I guessed that many Chinese viewers only knew that Clinton was definitely saying something, but what he said wasn』t all that clear. So near the end of my live broadcast, I remarked that it looked like for America to learn more about China, sometimes it needed to start with language, though for our two countries, face-to-face was always better than back-to-back. It was also at the beginning of that year that I drove the first car in my life. For me this was unimaginable before, that Chinese people one day would also drive their own cars. A personal delight can also make a lasting impression, because sometimes the first time is the most unforgettable.

In 2008, I was 40. The words 「I have a dream」 that haven』t been discussed for many years now were heard among so many Americans. It seemed like Obama really did not want to accept Yale』s 20-year occupation of America. Using words like 「change」 and 「dream」, he even convinced Yale teachers and students to parade and celebrate his election to the Presidency, according to what I』ve heard.

But this was also a year in which the Chinese Dream showed clearly. After encountering many setbacks as any grand dream in the world is destined to, it came through. Whether it was the long-awaited Beijing Olympics, or the first spacewalk by a Chinese aboard the Shenzhou 7, these were all dreams which we have waited for a long time since a long time ago. But the sudden Sichuan Earthquake made all this not as magnificent as we had expected. Eighty-thousand lives departed, and made every day of 2008 seem like a year. I』m guessing that on Yale』s campus, on every web site, in front of television and newspapers, were also many people from China, and people in all parts of the world, who shed tears for these lost lives. Just like forty years ago when Mr. Martin Luther King fell but allowed the words 「I have a dream」 to stand higher, more enduring, and seem ever more valuable, more Chinese people also came to understand that dreams are important, but lives are even more so.

During the Olympics, I passed my own fortieth birthday. That day I was full of emotional thoughts, because when the day of my birthday approached, I was broadcasting an exciting competition. Twenty-four hours later, when my birthday was passing, I was still broadcasting. But that day I felt very fortunate. Because it was such a special fortieth birthday at the Beijng Olympics that made me realize the Chinese Dream behind my personal story.

It was in this kind of forty years that I went from a far-away border-town kid who had no possibility of having a dream, to a newsman who could be at a big festival celebrated with all of humanity and who could communicate and share the happiness with them. This was a life story that took place in China. And in this year, China and America were not far apart. There was a bit of me in you and a bit of you in me, we needed each other. It was said that President Bush spent the longest time in any country abroad as President, and that was during the Beijing Olympics. Phelps took eight medals there, and his family was there by his side. All Chinese wished that extraordinary family well. Of course, every dream will pass. In such a year, China and America almost simultaneously found their new 「I have a dream」 moment, and it was so coincidental, and so deserving.

America is facing a very very difficult financial crisis, and it isn』t only America, but it affects the whole world seriously. Yesterday I got to New York. As soon as I deplaned, I went to Wall Street. There I saw the statue of President Washington. His gaze was permanently fixed on the huge American flag on the stock exchange. Interestingly, the hall behind the statue was holding an exhibition on 「President Lincoln in New York」, so President Lincoln』s huge portrait was also on it, and he also gazed at the flag. I felt the very solemn weight of history. When I left there, I told my colleague this. I said, many many years ago, if something like this befell America, perhaps Chinese people would have taken pleasure, because see, America is miserable again. But today, Chinese people would especially wish that America get better soon. Because we have hundreds of billions worth of money with America. We also have a huge quantity of products waiting to be put on freighters and sent to America. If America』s economy takes a step for the better, it means behind these products, another Chinese gets a raise, it means he regains his employment and happiness in the family.

In the past 30 years, I don』t know if you』ve noticed the Chinese Dream that is relevant to more and more ordinary Chinese people. I don』t know what other country in this world, in the past 30 years, has changed the individual fates at this magnitude. A kid from a remote small city on the periphery, a kid in despair, today has the chance to have an exchange with these Yale students. Maybe we can change the viewpoint, and look at 1.3 billion very ordinary Chinese, their down-to-earth dreams, their impulsive drive to change their fates, their still kindhearted temperament, and their diligent character. Today』s China is made up of these words I just spoke.

In the past many years, Chinese seemed to be looking at America through a telescope. So everything good that is in America was magnified by this telescope. Frequently people mentioned America was like this and like that, then look at us, when can we be like that. In the past many years, Americans also seemed to be looking at China through a telescope, but I am guessing they held it backwards. Because what they saw was a diminished, always-doing-wrong, full-of-problems China. They overlooked 1.3 very ordinary Chinese people and this impulsive drive and urge of theirs to change their fate, which caused such huge transformations in our country. But I also always had this dream: why do we need to use telescopes to look at each other?

Of course I hope very many Americans have a chance to go see China, and not to look at China through the media. You know I don』t really trust all of my colleagues. I』m just kidding. Actually I respect my American colleagues very much. I only hope that more and more American friends go to see a real China. Because I can at least guarantee one thing. Even if in America you ate what is deemed to be the best Chinese food, in won』t fetch a good price in China. Just like many many years ago, in every city of China there was this popular 「California Beef Noodle」 shop. Many Chinese all thought, anything from America was definitely very very tasty. So they all went to eat. Although it was not very tasty, they didn』t complain because they knew it was from America. This fast-food chain existed in China for many years, until more and more Chinese people came to America, and searched every corner of California for a California Beef Noodle shop, and could not find a single one. Only then did more and more Chinese know that California doesn』t have such beef noodle, so this chain store in China is in the process of disappearing. This is the kind of discrepancy I am talking about. As we come and go, such misunderstandings will be fewer and fewer.

So lastly I just want to say one thing again. Forty years ago, when Mr. Martin Luther King fell down, his words 「I have a dream」 spread across the world. But, you must know that there is not just an English version of 「I have a dream.」 In the distant East, in the China that has held on for thousands of years, there is also a dream. It isn』t a grandiose slogan, it doesn』t lie with the government. It belongs to every ordinary Chinese. It is 「I have a dream」 written in Chinese.